Largest Denisovan DNA study reveals ancient genes still active in Oceanian populations
Ancient DNA inherited from Denisovans, an extinct group of human relatives, still influences the biology of people living…
Recent analysis shows Neanderthals may have been first dentists in recorded history
One of the most dreaded terms in dentistry is “root canal,” but at least we get to enjoy…
100,000-year-old Homo sapiens bones from Ethiopia may preserve earliest evidence of human cremation
Researchers studying Ethiopia’s Afar Rift have reported what could be the oldest known evidence of human cremation. The…
China scientists argue that harsh settings, not warm climates, drive early human creativity
Archaeologists in central China have directly challenged the long-held belief that humanity’s earliest ancestors reached their creative peak…
Upright Walking and Larger Brains May Explain Why 90% of Humans Favor Their Right Hand
New research from the University of Oxford and the University of Reading suggests bipedalism and expanding brain size…
146,000-year-old Ice Age humans used advanced stone tools for butchery and survival
A new study from central China is changing how scientists think about creativity and survival among ancient humans.…
Why Did the Neanderthals Disappear? Scientists Reveal Humans Had a Hidden Advantage
A new study using ecological modeling techniques suggests that Neanderthal extinction cannot be explained by climate or competition…
Neanderthal Babies Were Apparently Built Different and Reached Toddler Size in Only Six Months
AI-generated illustration of a Neanderthal toddler. Credit: ZME Science. When scientists examined the incredibly well-preserved skeleton of a…
A Hundred Thousand Years Ago, Humans and Neanderthals Built a Shared Culture in This Cave
Artistic depiction of an ancient Neanderthal around a campfire. Humans and Neanderthals not only coexisted and interbred, but…
Study: Ancient Mating Preferences, Not Natural Selection, Helped Shape Human Genome
Prehistoric humans and Neanderthals didn’t just interbreed, they did so with a consistent sex bias, as male Neanderthals…
60,000-year-old markings on ostrich eggs reveal oldest geometric grammar
Researchers have discovered and analyzed the world’s oldest geometric patterns on 60,000-year-old ostrich egg fragments, revealing the complex…
China’s Xigou Site Yields Evidence of Advanced Stone Tool Technology
Technological innovations in Africa and Western Europe in the later part of the Middle Pleistocene signal the behavioral…